How to Get Deals on Black Friday

Black Friday is a day that strikes fear in the hearts of retail clerks everywhere. It's the shopping day to end all shopping days, the day that many people train all year for. If you're brave enough to wake up early the day after Thanksgiving, your reward will be bountiful if you know how to get the best deals on Black Friday.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Prepare for the day. Gather up all of your Black Friday flyers and decide exactly what deals you want to take advantage of. This isn't the day to comparison shop; have a list already drawn up of what you want to buy and where you plan to get each item from.

2. Find out who will price match. Many retailers honor the lowest advertised price, even if the ad isn't theirs. If you find a store like this, take note. Let's say that a certain model of television is at store A for $100. At store B, it's selling for $150, but they price match. The crowds will flock to store A, but you can get the same TV for the same price at store B.

3. Go online. Almost every retail chain has a website, and many of them begin honoring Black Friday deals online at midnight. This can really put you ahead of the curve if you start ordering items online while the rest of the country is still in a turkey-induced coma.

4. Hide stuff. While it's not the nicest thing to do, it's a good way to get the deals you want on Black Friday. A few days before the big day, go to the store and pick up one of the items on your wish list. Hide it in another part of the store that's less likely to be busy on the big day. Then on Black Friday, just walk in and dig up the item you're craving.

Tips & Warnings

• Check out the store's return policy. If a company promises to refund your money or give you the difference if it offers the same product for less at a later date, you can buy all your Black Friday goodies a week before the crowds.
• Always buy with a credit card. That way if you need to make a return, you're usually protected.
• It's easy to get caught up in the frenzy of Black Friday and end up buying things that you don't really need or want. Take a friend who can give you a sanity check.

Resources

• Find out about Black Friday deals the moment they come out.